Quantifiers
Table of Contents
Exercises
Explanation
Countable Nouns
Examples of countable nouns: apple, book, chair, student
We can use these quantifiers:
|
Quantifier |
Meaning |
Example |
|
a few / a couple of |
some, not many |
We have a few apples. |
|
many |
a large number |
She has many friends. |
|
some |
a small number |
There are some chairs here. |
|
not many |
only a small number |
I don’t have many books. |
|
a lot of / lots of |
a big number |
There are lots of cars today. |
|
several |
more than two |
We visited several places. |
|
how many...? |
asking for number |
How many pens do you have? |
Uncountable Nouns (things we cannot count)
Examples: water, rice, sugar, money, time, milk, music
We do not use a/an or plural forms. We use these quantifiers:
|
Quantifier |
Meaning |
Example |
|
a little |
some, not much |
There is a little milk in the fridge. |
|
little |
almost none |
We have little time. |
|
some |
a small amount |
I need some sugar. |
|
not much |
only a small amount |
There isn’t much water left. |
|
a lot of / lots of |
a big amount |
She drinks a lot of water. |
|
how much...? |
asking about amount |
How much rice do we need? |
Quantifiers for Both Countable & Uncountable Nouns
|
Quantifier |
Meaning |
Example |
|
no |
none |
We have no homework. / There are no cookies. |
|
any |
used in questions and negatives |
Do you have any money? |
|
enough |
the right amount |
We have enough chairs. / We have enough time. |
|
most |
almost all |
Most people like coffee. |
Useful Tips
-
a few = a small number (positive)
We have a few cookies. (some) -
few = almost none (negative)
We have few cookies. (not many / almost none) -
a little = a small amount (positive)
There is a little juice. (some) -
little = almost none (negative)
There is little juice. (not enough)
Examples
-
I have a few questions.
-
She has a lot of homework.
-
We don’t have much time.
-
There are no eggs left.
-
Do you have any bread?
